Preterm Births : Causes And Effects

According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2016), preterm birth are the birth that happened before 37 ended weeks of pregnancy and is one of the number reason of newborn deaths and the second prominent cause of deaths in children below five. The preterm babies have chances of an amplified risk of illness, disability and death. In the first weeks, the complications of premature birth may include: breathing problems, heart problems, brain problems, temperature control problems, gastrointestinal problems, blood problems, metabolism problems, immune system problems. Long-term complications includes cerebral palsy, impaired cognitive skills, vision problem, hearing problems, dental problems, behavioral and psychological problems, chronic health issues.

Giving birth to a baby is the most amazing and miraculous experiences for parents and their loved ones. Every woman’s birth story is different and full of joy. Furthermore, the process from the moment a woman knows that she’s pregnant to being in the delivering room is very critical to both her and the newborn baby. Prenatal care is extremely important and it can impact greatly the quality of life of the baby. In this paper, the topic of giving birth will be discussed thoroughly by describing the stories of two mothers who gave birth in different decades and see how their prenatal cares are different from each other with correlation of the advancement of modern medicine between four decades.

Defining premature birth is much more than just a denotative phrase. It is not just a preterm birth, or a baby born early. It is a life-changing event, and something that affects millions of people worldwide. The intense quiet room with heart monitors beeping, as parents see their baby and are devastated. Loved ones can not feed them or kiss them nor, can they not hold them or hug them. They do not get the same experience as others. Little miracles lay inside these cubes where multiple wires are help keeping them alive. A place where prayers happen, and where all hope for the best. Nobody knows the true pain and struggle behind a preterm birth and it needs to be discussed. Prematurity is a serious conflict; therefore, it needs more awareness as many families are facing this tough situation.

Childbirth is one of the greatest privileges on the earth anyone could have and we, as women, should feel proud to be major contributors for it. Thus, a mother has to play a key role in aiding the healthcare workers to mitigate the health crisis associated with childbirth by performing her duties faithfully. One such associated health crisis is “Premature (preterm) birth” which occurs when the baby is born too early, before 37 weeks of gestational period (CDC, 2015). The rate of preterm birth ranges from 5% to 18% of babies born across 184 countries (WHO, 2015).

-Race or ethnicity: Historically, minority populations in the United States have had higher rates of preterm delivery. In 2007, non-Hispanic White women accounted for the lowest number of preterm births in the United States, accounting for only 11.5% of all preterm births (MacDorman, 2011). In contrast, non-Hispanic Blacks, Puerto Ricans, American Indians and Hispanic women had preterm birth levels of 18.3%, 14.5%, 13.9% and 12.3% respectively (MacDorman, 2011). The Asian minority had the lowest risk at 10.9% (MacDorman, 2011). Some studies have attributed such significant differences to racial disparities in resources and health care (Dominguez, 2008; Vanderbilt & Wright, 2013). However, other studies such as Menon’s et al, which looked at differences in White versus Black women, suggest that racial disparities in preterm birth may

The patient population is the preterm babies that are less than 37 weeks’ and weight

Over the years birthing methods have changed a great deal. When technology wasn’t so advanced there was only one method of giving birth, vaginally non-medicated. However, in today’s society there are now more than one method of giving birth. In fact, there are three methods: Non-medicated vaginal delivery, medicated vaginal delivery and cesarean delivery, also known as c-section. In the cesarean delivery there is not much to prepare for before the operation, except maybe the procedure of the operation. A few things that will be discussed are: the process of cesarean delivery, reasons for this birthing method and a few reasons for why this birthing method is used. Also a question that many women have is whether or not they can vaginally

According to the World Health Organisation [WHO] (2014) pre-term babies are at increased risk of illness, disability and death. It also states that globally 15 million babies are born pre-term and the figures are rising. In England and Wales during 2012 7.3% of live births were pre-term under 37 weeks nearly 85% of all babies born prematurely will have a very low birth weight (Office for National Statistics, 2012). Pre-term birth is associated with respiratory complications and lung disease, long-tern neurological damage and problems with bowel function (Henderson & Macdonald, 2011). Neonatal services provide care to babies who are born prematurely or are ill and require specialist care. It is seen that sixty per cent of infant deaths occur in the neonatal period (DH,

Early prenatal care is essential to mothers and babies. Doctors preferably see their pregnant patients around 8 weeks of pregnancy in which an initial evaluation is conducted which includes checking for sexually transmitted infections, they screen for gestational diabetes, and to find out when the due date is. When a woman comes in during the third trimester for an initial check-up, the due date is typically not accurate; which could result in preterm labour. Being born preterm has severe consequences, such babies are more at risk for respiratory distress syndrome, and later on in life diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Among the benefits of prenatal care is the ability to anticipate future or current problems; hence, it is essential to the health of both mother and child. Prenatal care allows health care providers to take timely measures to ensure the wellbeing of the mother and

Preterm births, a birth before 37 weeks, happens in 12% of births and accounts for 47% of infant fatalities in Ohio. The chance of a black woman having a preterm birth is 1.5 times that of a white woman (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Multiple pregnancies can cause problems to a placenta. The more pregnancies a woman has, the probability of them having a preterm birth increases (Live Science). At its current state, there are no tests to determine to detect when a preterm birth will occur. About half of preterm births happen with no visible risk factors (Centers for Disease Control

Socioeconomic conditions also played a role in my preterm birth, because I live with someone who smoked cigarettes and also used illicit drugs from time to time. As a result I delivered a baby girl at 24 weeks gestation which is 16 weeks premature and was just two weeks beyond the point of viability. My child weighed 1 lb. 8 oz. and was 12 inches long. The psychological effects after the birth of my child were even more devastating. Knowing that the situation could have been prevented has always weighed heavy on my mind as my child battle with many issues due to her prematurity. These issues resulted in the use of oxygen, and apnea monitor, and also a feeding tube. In the beginning there were many developmental delays such as, she did call until she was one years old and she did not walk until she was two years old. Though those were the short term effects, there are also long-term effects such as lack of confidence and attention deficit disorder. Vision problems are another long- term effect that my daughter suffered from preterm birth. In many cases, the retina will detach from the eye causing blindness around the actual due date. Fortunately for me and my daughter we were able to avoid the detachment but we still have to deal with the vision problems caused by early delivery.

Evidence is beginning to suggest that preconception stress is an important predictor of adverse obstetric outcomes including preterm birth (PTB), low birth weight (LBW) and small for gestational age (SGA). PTB is defined as delivery before 37 completed weeks of gestation and in 2012, 1 in 9 babies, or 11.5% of live births were preterm in the United States (US) (National Center for Health Statistics, final natality data, n.d.). LBW is defined as less than 2500 grams. In 2012, 1 in 13 babies, or 8% of live births had a LBW in

Pregnancy is normally the best and the happiest stage of any woman, but it can also be uncertain because anything can go wrong if you do not know exactly what to do. In order to understand the reasons of why Preterm Birth occurs, it is important to know what it is and how risky it can be. Preterm Birth is also known as Premature labor which mainly begins after “20 weeks but before 37 completed week’s gestations. Approximately 12.9 million babies worldwide are born too early every year representing an incidence of PTB of 9.6%” (Berghella, pp. 2, 8). Baby Center Medical Advisory Board says that about 12 percent of babies

While some women who received no prenatal care had normal, uncomplicated births, others did not. Most of the women who did not receive adequate prenatal care gave birth to an underweight and underdeveloped infant. Among the benefits of early, comprehensive prenatal care are decreased risk of preterm deliveries and low birth weight (LBW)-both major predictors of infant morbidity and mortality. (Dixon, Cobb, Clarke, 2000). Preterm deliveries, deliveries prior to 37 weeks of gestation, have risen. Since the studies in 1987, which showed the rate of preterm deliveries as 6.9% of births, the 1997 rate shows an increase to 7.5%. Low birth weight, defined as an infant weighing less than 2500 grams (5lbs. 5oz) is often preceded by preterm delivery. Low

born at least three weeks earlier than their due date. Premature birth gives the baby